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“When the hands work, the mind rests,” highlights Łucja Cieślar, a team member of Serfenta Association. In the latest episode of the “Holistic Heritage” podcast, John Beauchamp and Dr Katarzyna Jagodzińska discuss traditional basket weaving and the tranquillity it offers, as well as the relaxing “speech” of reeds and straw, with members of the Serfenta team: Paulina Adamska, Łucja Cieślar, and Urszula Szwed.

The team at Kraków’s Europa Nostra Heritage Hub is not only engaged in heritage practice, but also in scholarly work. The Hub’s Head, Dr. Katarzyna Jagodzińska, has just published her new book in the prestigious British Routledge publishing house: ‘Participation and the Post-Museum’.

For Easter, we wish you much joy in practising intangible cultural heritage and enjoying the distinctive rituals, traditions, and customs of this period. More than 57 different practices and skills celebrated during this time in Poland have been added to the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage

On 10 April 2025, in the representative hall of the Silesian Parliament in Katowice, Dr. Piotr Gerber received the medal of the European Heritage Award | Europa Nostra Award from Prof. Jacek Purchla, Vice-President of Europa Nostra, in the category of Heritage Champions. This is the highest European distinction for activities undertaken to preserve and promote cultural heritage.

On 9 April 2025 the awards ceremony for the Costa Carras European Citizens Awards for the Safeguard of Endangered Heritage 2025 will be held as part of the X Delphi Economic Forum! The Gold Award has been awarded to AKTI Project and Research Centre, the Cypriot environmental organisation, recognised for their work in raising awareness about the protection of endangered natural heritage. The Silver Award has been granted to the Italian organisation Future Food Institute (FFI) for their effective promotion and protection of cultural and natural heritage.

We look forward to seeing you in Katowice on 10-11 April! We warmly encourage participation in the international conference “European Steel and Coal Heritage” during which we will reflect on industrial heritage—its significance and use, as well as its protection alongside support for the natural environment. We highly encourage you to join us; registration is open until 4 April 2025!

Today marks the last working day with us for Dr Konrad Kołodziejczyk, the invaluable administrative manager of the Europa Nostra Hub. We’re not saying goodbye, but rather see you later, and we highly recommend his latest book on the residents of 18th-century Kazimierz near Kraków.

Registration is now open for the third European Heritage Hub Forum, focusing on “EU Enlargement: Cultural Heritage as a Key Resource for Cities & Civil Society”. The event will take place from 3-4 April 2025 in Budva, Montenegro, in a hybrid format, both in-person and online.

On 18 March 2025, Europa Nostra and the European Investment Bank (EIB) published the list of 7 most endangered cultural heritage sites in Europe, which includes the Great Synagogue in Orla. This initiative is an important effort to save the endangered heritage of our continent, providing communication, expert, and financial support for the protection of exceptional monuments. The EIB grant for each laureate of the 7 Most Endangered Programme amounts to €10,000.

Heavy industry in Silesia is changing… Adaptation to new functions often becomes the only chance for the survival of industrial heritage. How can we best protect and manage these sites? In the next episode of the podcast “On The Road,” Katarzyna Jagodzińska and John Beauchamp will explore the industrial trail between Zabrze, Ostrava, and Świętochłowice, listening to the echoes of former industrial plants in Silesia.

On 25 February 2025, the third meeting dedicated to the Kraków Fortress was held as part of the Kraków Heritage Forum. The aim of the event was to summarise the potential of this largest fortress complex in Europe, reflect on current challenges and outline directions for future activities to fully develop the offer aimed at both residents and tourists.

The European Heritage Hub made an appearance in Kraków to lead a half-day-long seminar at the Jagiellonian University. On 7 March 2025, together with academics and local heritage professionals, members of the European Heritage Hub project met with students to discuss possibilities for youth engagement in various heritage issues.